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The Greatest of These Is Love?

John McCarthy is joined by writer Salley Vickers and reflects on the centrality of love in our lives, considering the 'love chapter' from the Bible - I Corinthians 13.

John McCarthy is joined by writer Salley Vickers to reflect on the centrality of love in our lives, considering I Corinthians 13. This is sometimes referred to as the "love chapter" of the New Testament and is often read at weddings and funerals. Tony Blair read it at Princess Diana's funeral.

The chapter includes images and phrases which are known to us all, such as the invitation to "put off childish things" and the mystery of "seeing through a glass darkly".

Salley Vickers' first novel, Miss Garnett's Angel, became a phenomenal word-of-mouth hit and was followed by other greatly loved books, such as Mr Golightly's Holiday, The Other Side of You and Dancing Backwards. Salley has a skill at merging ancient art and modern psychology in her stories and often deals with Biblical matters. Her latest book The Cleaner of Chartres explores one of her best loved themes - the power of love to transform.

In this programme Salley considers I Corinthians 13 firstly as a piece of literature by examining how it works in terms of shape, tone, and images. She then brings her own experience to the chapter as both writer and psychotherapist. Questions arise as to whether it is true that "love never faileth" as the chapter says, what the value is of "putting off childish things", and whether it is always the case that love is greater that faith and hope.

The programme includes readings from Rumi, Viktor Frankl, Rilke and George Herbert, with music by Eric Whitacre, J.S Bach and Zbigniew Preisner.

Readers: Rachel Atkins and George Irving
Producer: Rosie Boulton
A Whistledown production for 大象传媒 Radio 4

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Mar 2021 23:30

Music Played

  • Eric Whitacre

    hope, faith, life, love

    • Light and Gold.
    • Decca.
    • 11.
  • Joni Mitchell

    Love

    Performer: Joni Mitchell

    • Travelogue.
    • Nonesuch.
    • 4.
  • James Taylor

    Shower the People

    Performer: James Taylor

    • One Man Band.
    • Hear Music / UMTV.
    • 14.
  • J.S.Bach

    Double Violin Concerto, BWV.1043

    Performers: Andrew Manze (violin/dir.), Rachel Podger (violin), The Academy of Ancient Music

    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • Garry Schyman

    Praan

    Artist: Featuring Alicia Lemke

    • Trip the Light.

Readings

Title: Love Song

Author: Rainer Maria Rilke

Translator: Stephen Mitchell

Publication: The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke,

Publisher: Random House 1982.

ISBN - 10: 0394524349

ISBN-13:听978-0394524344

Title: Man鈥檚 search for Meaning, Part One: Experiences in a Concentration Camp.

Author: Viktor Frankl

Publisher: Random House

ISBN: 978-0-671-02337-9

Title: Love

Author: Rumi

Translator: Tom Davis

ISBN: N/A

Broadcasts

  • Sun 12 May 2013 06:05
  • Sun 12 May 2013 23:30
  • Sun 14 Mar 2021 06:05
  • Sun 14 Mar 2021 23:30